Notebook: Cherryville tourney pairings, Forestview's Neal offered

Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 09:40 PM.

East Lincoln, expected to be a contender for the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference title, dropped Tuesday’s game 49-45.

Hot start

The Big South 3A Conference’s girls basketball teams are off to a fantastic start as they sported a collective 18-3 record through Tuesday’s games.

Five teams held undefeated records through Tuesday: Forestview (4-0), Kings Mountain (4-0), Ashbrook (3-0), South Point (3-0) and Crest (1-0). And one of the teams not undefeated, North Gaston, had a sparkling 3-1 record entering Wednesday’s game at Lincolnton.

The biggest improvement has come from the teams that tied for fifth in the Big South last season: Kings Mountain and North Gaston. Kings Mountain has already surpassed last year’s win total by one as the Mountaineers went 3-19 last winter. North Gaston is halfway to its win total of last year, when the Wildcats finished 6-15.

Pairings have been set for Cherryville’s annual holiday basketball tournament.

The Bud Black/Dennis Tate Holiday Classic will begin with the Chase and South Point girls squaring off Dec. 27 at 10 a.m. Other opening-round girls games include Thomas Jefferson vs. Bessemer City at 1 p.m., Hickory Grove vs. Castlewood, Va., at 4 p.m. and Hunter Huss against Cherryville at 7 p.m.

The boys action that day will begin at 11:30 a.m. with South Point taking on Bessemer City. Boys games to follow are Chase vs. Australia B at 2:30 p.m., Castlewood, Va., against Australia A at 5:30 p.m. and Thomas Jefferson against Cherryville at 8:30 p.m.

Games are scheduled for the same times on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29, with the girls championship set for 7 p.m. Dec. 29, followed by the boys title game at 8:30 p.m.

Jaguars freshman offered

Forestview freshman running back Moe Neal has received his first scholarship offer as Mississippi State came to the table this week, according to his father.

The 5-foot-10, 150-pound Neal is being recruiting by a number of other Division I schools, including Kentucky, Alabama-Birmingham, Cincinnati, North Carolina, Youngtown State, Virginia, Akron, James Madison, Arizona, Tennessee, Duke , Ohio, LSU, Marshall and Central Florida.

After leading Grier to the Gaston County middle school championship last year, Neal contributed at the varsity level right away for Forestview, scoring nine touchdowns this past season. Neal rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns and caught 32 passes for 394 yards and six touchdowns as Forestview went 7-5.

East Lincoln star out

East Lincoln opened basketball season with a new player who was expected to make a major impact.

Freshman point guard Chazz Surratt missed Tuesday’s opener against Newton-Conover due to a strained medial collateral ligament in one of his knees, an injury he suffered in Saturday’s 2A state championship football game.

Surratt should be available to return to action next week, assistant coach Chip Ashley said.

East Lincoln, expected to be a contender for the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference title, dropped Tuesday’s game 49-45.

Hot start

The Big South 3A Conference’s girls basketball teams are off to a fantastic start as they sported a collective 18-3 record through Tuesday’s games.

Five teams held undefeated records through Tuesday: Forestview (4-0), Kings Mountain (4-0), Ashbrook (3-0), South Point (3-0) and Crest (1-0). And one of the teams not undefeated, North Gaston, had a sparkling 3-1 record entering Wednesday’s game at Lincolnton.

The biggest improvement has come from the teams that tied for fifth in the Big South last season: Kings Mountain and North Gaston. Kings Mountain has already surpassed last year’s win total by one as the Mountaineers went 3-19 last winter. North Gaston is halfway to its win total of last year, when the Wildcats finished 6-15.